Sudden Infant Death Syndrome or SIDS (also known as ‘cot death’) is when a baby dies but no-one knows the exact cause. SIDS cannot be predicted or prevented, and claims any baby in spite of parents doing everything right.

Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy or SUDI is any death in the first year of life, which is sudden and unexpected. SUDI includes deaths caused by accidental suffocation, meaning many SUDI cases are preventable.

To reduce the risk of SUDI, parents need to ensure every sleep is a safe sleep for their babies. You can protect your babies by doing the following:

• Put baby to sleep on their backs (not on their side or front)
• Place baby in their own sleeping space e.g. cot or bassinet
• Eliminate smoking
• Breastfeed your baby up to at least six months of age

Other dangerous sleeping situations include sleeping baby on a couch or on a bed between pillows.

Click on one of the following to access Pacific SUDI prevention information resources:

• SUDI Prevention – English
• SUDI Prevention – Samoan
• SUDI Prevention – Cook Island
• SUDI Prevention – Tongan
• SUDI Prevention – Niuean